About Hemp

Hemp seeds are composed of approximately 45 per cent oil, 35 per cent protein, and 10 per cent carbohydrates, they are a remarkable source of many vitamins and minerals. These healthy seeds can be consumed on their own, or used to produce hemp oil or milk, which make excellent choices for anyone looking for vegan-friendly substitutes to add to their diet.

Not sure if hemp is for you? Here are some scientifically backed reasons for adding a little more of the green super-food to your daily regimen.

High in Protein

As mentioned earlier, hemp seeds are high in protein, being made up of roughly 25-35 per cent. Most of us know that protein should be included as a significant part of our diets since it has a strong bearing on muscle retention, inflammation reduction, and just keeping us satiated (man must live not on bread alone, after all). While protein can be derived from many sources, unfortunately not all protein is of equal quality.

A complete protein is one that contains all nine essential amino acids. These amino acids are essential in the sense that they form the foundation for all proteins found in the human body. Humans, though, cannot make these amino acids ourselves; we must obtain them through our diet. Hemp is unusual in that it not only contains many non-essential amino acids; it is also on a very small list of plants that contain all nine essential amino acids. Including hemp protein in a your diet is, therefore, an easy way to ensure that you are meeting all of your daily dietary requirements.

Hemp is also a high-quality protein because of its ability to be digested with ease by the body. In 2010, a study was conducted to determine the plant’s protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (or PDCAAS) which measures a food’s quality based on the number of amino acids it contains, as well as our ability to digest them. The study found that hemp protein's quality is "equal to or greater than certain grains, nuts, and some pulses." Good news for those trying to add a little extra protein to their diet in a way that’s also easy on the tummy.

Beneficial for Training

Since hemp is a complete protein, it is the ideal supplement to include in your post workout snacks. Adding it to a smoothie, is a quick on-the-go way to ensure you continue to build and repair muscle. If you have allergies that exclude other protein options such as dairy, eggs, gluten or soy for you, hemp is the ideal hypoallergenic protein choice.

Hemp Seeds Contain Essential Fatty Acids

Omega-3 is well-known for its importance in contributing to heart health and preventing arthritis, so much so that doctors and dieticians have been recommending a daily dose (often in the form of fish oil pills). Hemp seeds have a high level of both omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids, making the seeds a superb supplement in this regard.

An Excellent Source of Fibre

While most of us could use more fibre in our diets to keep our hearts healthy and digestion systems functioning smoothly (constipation is no one’s friend), it can be difficult to include enough of it without eating large quantities of vegetables or plain-tasting bran cereals.

Hemp protein powder is a great source for obtaining additional fibre. One or two tablespoons of hemp offer as much as eight grams of fibre! This is more than can be acquired from milk or whey protein powders which only provide one gram of fibre or less per serving. Since men typically need between 30 and 38 grams of fibre daily, and women between 21 and 25 grams, a serving of hemp protein powder will put you well on your way to meeting your daily requirements. Your heart and stomach will thank you for it.

Immune System and Anti-Fatigue Benefits

From the common cold to the dreadful flu, there seems to be no shortage of illnesses spreading these days. And with such busy lives, it can be difficult to meet the dietary requirements needed to build a healthy immune system—not to mention getting enough sleep to keep up with life’s hectic pace. Hemp may be able to solve both of these problems.

A study conducted in China examined the effects of hemp seed protein on female mice. The study found that after giving the mice the protein in various quantities for four weeks, they were able to swim for longer periods without becoming fatigued. The results suggested that hemp seed protein could be used to improve the effects of fatigue and immunomodulation.

Adding a little hemp protein to your diet might be just what you need to get some of your energy back and have you keeping up with those mice.

Hemp seeds and its derived products have many health benefits that make it an excellent supplement for any diet. If you would like to incorporate more of this remarkable plant into your diet, there are many ways to do so as the powder form is extremely versatile.

As is the case with many other protein powders on the market, hemp protein powder can be used in shakes and smoothies, or simply blended with milk. It can also be mixed into many of your daily meals and snacks, such as oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, or soup. If you are someone who enjoys baking, you may want to try your hand at adding the powder to such baked goods as brownies, muffins, cakes and bread. Check out some recipes here. Just be sure to overlook it if your treats turn a bit green, as this sometimes happens due to the natural colouring of the powder.

There really is almost no shortage to what you can use hemp protein in, and its health benefits can’t be denied regardless of your reason to take it as a supplement.

How is Hemp Protein Powder Made?

Hemp is a truly amazing plant with a variety of impressive qualities. It has commercial applications and has been used to produce clothing, rope, cosmetics, and backpacks just to name a few. But hemp also boasts incredible nutritional qualities and is becoming the preferred plant-based protein in athletic circles. But how, exactly, ishemp proteinpowder made?

At first thought, this might seem a silly question with an all too simple answer. You may be thinking something along the lines of “Let me take a wild guess...hemp protein powder is made by grinding up hemp seeds”.

Unfortunately, you can’t just throw hemp seeds into a blender, hit the switch, wait a minute and boom you have a pile of delicious and nutritious hemp protein powder. In order to make proper hemp protein powder, it’s necessary to separate the hemp seeds from the shells. And it’s not as simple as cracking open a peanut. We have to work to get results.

How hard can it be to remove hemp seeds from their shells? The answer: Pretty damn hard. While it’s relatively easy to find whole hemp seeds if you live in an area with specialty health food stores, once you get your hands on them is when the real not-so-fun begins.

First, the seeds need to be spread evenly on a flat surface, otherwise known as a “table”. Next, take a cutting board and place it on top of the seeds. Then, tap the cutting board with a mallet or hammer to rupture the shells. Move the board around and tap the mallet on all areas so you break all the shells. Careful not to hit the board too hard. If you smash the seeds the next step will be ruined.

After you’ve delicately cracked all the shells place them in a bucket of water and stir them vigorously. The seeds will sink while the shells float to the surface. Skim the hulls off the top then pour the water through a colander to separate the seeds. And now you have yourself some hemp seeds. Maybe it doesn’t sound too bad...but that’s only the first step toward making hemp protein powder.

Now that you’ve gone through the process of removing the hemp seeds from the shells, you’ll have to dry them. How best to do this? You can use a food dehydrator. You have a food dehydrator, right? Actually this isn’t even a great idea because it makes the hemp taste terrible.

I’ve seen some people recommend drying hemp seeds in a microwave on the defrost setting but you’ll run into the same problem regarding taste. And I doubt you like microwaving much of anything anyway. So it’s back to the table to spread out the wet seeds to dry. It’s necessary to mix up the seeds every couple hours to help with the drying and it’ll take 24 to 48 hours for the seeds to completely dry. Onto the next step…

Now we need to figure out a way to remove the oil from the hemp seed. If you grind up the seeds without doing this you’ll end up with a paste instead of a powder. In order to separate the oil, the hemp seeds need to be cold-pressed with a significant amount of pressure. This leaves you with the hemp oil and a material called “cake”. The cake is the dry material used to make hemp protein powder.

Home cold-press oil extraction machines do exist but they're not cheap. Other options exist to remove the oil from hemp seeds but some require using harsh chemicals while others are just too time consuming and difficult. Happily, there’s another way to get hemp protein powder into your post-workout shakes.

Sometimes it’s simply smarter to have someone else do the heavy lifting and this is definitely the case when it comes to hemp protein powder.

Be mindful of your choice because plenty of hemp protein products contain all types of additives, preservatives, and sugars. Things you certainly do not want to be putting into your body. That's why we're so proud of Hemp PrO. It tastes amazing, contains not added sugar or artificial sweeteners, uses zero-calorie stevia to provide a touch of sweetness, and contains rice protein to add to the amino profile. Save yourself the time and effort and let the pros help you with this one.